Cindermacy
by LostInTranslation764
Summary: Cinderella meets JONAS. Written for the 'Pure Horace Mantis Challenge #9 – Stretch Your Imagination' Nick/Macy


_A/N: This was a pain to write. I don't really like it but I just had to write it. Partially because I absolutely adore fairytales and partially because I wanted to write something. _

_So, here it is: my entry for the __**Pure Horace Mantis Challenge #9 – Stretch Your Imagination. **__I choose _'9. _Write a JONAS version of your favorite fairytale or classic book (think Pride and Prejudice or The Great Gatsby and not Twlight).' To be honest, Cinderella isn't really my favorite fairytale, but somehow it fitted the JONAS-world the best._

_This story is a mixture between parody, fairytale and romance. So, please, don't take the story too seriously. The characters may be a bit OOC but they are fairytale-characters in this story._

_Ok, enjoy!_

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_**Disclaimer: I don't own JONAS, Cinderella or anything else.  
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_**Cindermacy**_

Once upon a time, in a strange blueish-red country called Horace Mantis, there was a wealthy trader named John Misa. He lived a happy life, with his wife and his young daughter, Macy. They were well off, well known, and very well liked. Life was ideal.

However, all good things come to an end. After a time, John's wife died.

After some more time, John decided to take a second wife, feeling Macy needed a mother, and he needed a wife as well, to keep house and cook and do other mundane tasks.

The woman he chose was called Amber and was the proudest and most haughty woman that was ever seen. She had by a former husband two daughters of her own selfish nature, called Penny and Amy. John did not see Amber's true nature, however, as she wore a façade of kindness and gentleness all throughout their courtship.

No sooner were the ceremonies of the wedding over than Amber began to show herself in true colors. She could not bear the good qualities of this pretty young girl Macy as she made her own daughters appear more odious. Amber longed to have sole control of the household and force Macy to do the meanest work of the house. But as long as John was alive, he forced Amber to treat Macy kindly, as she reminded him of his first wife, his true love. Macy was wary of her new stepmother, but took comfort in the fact that her father was there to protect her.

For many years, Amber schemed, and when Macy and her daughters were young women, she finally hatched upon a plan. The next time John went travelling, Amber slipped hemlock and deadly spurge into his food supply, before bidding him a happy good-bye.

Mere days later, word came that John had died on the road. Macy was crushed at the news, while Amber smiled evilly to herself, as her plans were about to come together.

It is here where we begin our tale.

-------

"John is dead."

The way the messenger had said it was so cruel and harsh. Tears gathered in Macy's eyes at the news, and she felt overcome by the urge to weep.

Amber swept over to the messenger, playing the part of the sorrowful widow. "How could this have happened?" she said, putting her head in her hands as if weeping.

"He was found dead on the road. No one knows how he died," the messenger sighed. "You have my sincerest condolences. Good day." The messenger departed without another word.

Macy fell upon the floor, sobbing at the loss of her father. After her mother had died, he had been the only one in this strange new world she could truly trust. And now, he was gone forever.

She heard Amber shut the door and looked up to see Amber peering down at her, a false expression of concern upon her face.

"Poor, poor, little Macy," Amber said sympathetically, shaking her head. "All alone in the world, with no one to care for her or protect her." Amber's expression changed, and an evil smirk formed on her lips. "What a loss."

"My father, your husband, is dead!" Macy cried out, distraught. "How can you say such hateful things?"

"I can say them because I mean them," Amber said cruelly. "Now, get up, Macy. I am the new head of house, and there are a few changes to be made."

Macy got to her feet, trembling, for she knew life under her stepmother would be hard and cruel.

-------

Time passed, and Macy grew from an awkward prepubescent child into a graceful and mature young woman, setting Macy's temper alight. For despite her filthy clothes and hair, and being forced to do the meanest work of the house, Macy shone with a natural beauty that far outshone that of her own daughters. With her beautiful brown eyes and her long brown hair, Macy was a true beauty. Amber took her own revenge by limiting Macy's food and increasing her housework, making her scour the floor by hand until her hands and knees bled, carrying out the chamber pots, and other such cruel tasks.

Amber, not wanting to spend the expense of a bed, left Macy to curl up on the floor each night. Macy resorted to the embers of the fire in the winter to keep her warm.

Penny and Amy found great amusement in this.

"Look at Macy!" Penny had crowed the first time that they had found her. "All curled up in the ashes!"

"Look, she has cinders in her hair!" Amy smirked nastily. "She's filthy!"

"We should call her Cindermacy!" Penny laughed, as Macy tried to get out of the fireplace.

"Cindermacy!" Amy giggled.

"Cindermacy, Cindermacy!" they chanted, dancing around Macy in a circle as they had their fun.

Even five years later, the name stuck.

One day, while Macy was cleaning up from supper, a knock came at the door.

"Amy, get the door!" Penny yelled at her sister. "I'm busy painting my nails!"

"You get it!" Amy hollered back from down the hall. "I'm trying to tighten my girdle on my own! I'm too busy!"

"You're a lazy witch!" Penny yelled down the hall, unmoving from her position on the living room floor. "You never answer the door!"

"I do too! You do it!" came Amy's response.

"You do it!" Penny hollered again.

"You!"

"You!"

"You!"

"You!"

"_I_ will get the door," Macy said, sighing, going to the door, a spotted kerchief still tied over her head to keep her hair from getting in the food. Opening the door, she saw a strange man standing outside, looking intensely bored.

On second thought, Macy considered, man wasn't the right word for it. He looked more her own age, and with his exasperated expression, he couldn't be more than eighteen. He had blonde hair and wore a quiver of arrows slung across his back. A red tunic plastered with the King's coat of arms was hung limply from his board shoulders.

"Hear ye, hear ye," he announced boredly, obviously reciting some spiel he had memorized. "The king has announced-"

"What has the king announced?" Penny asked, still not bothering to get up.

"The king has announced a grand ball in honor of his son," the messenger said, seemingly glad to be back on track. "All the women of the kingdom are invited. The king hopes his son the prince will choose a bride from them. The ball is three weeks hence. Good day." The messenger turned to leave.

"Wait!" Macy cried out after him. The messenger turned, looking to her tiredly.

"_All_ women of the kingdom are invited?" she asked, holding her breath with hope. The messenger looked to her, and his expression softened.

"Aye," he said. "All women." He smiled at her kindly, and she returned his smile happily.

"Excuse me," a cold voice said from behind. Macy turned to see Amber walking towards the door. "Surely you can't mean _this_ piece of filth," she said, gesturing at Macy. "It would simply be an abomination to have such a creature at the king's ball."

The messenger's expression took on a decidedly cool feel. "_All_ women of the kingdom have been invited," he told her. "Are you contradicting the words of the king?"

"No, but --" Amber objected.

"There is nothing more," the messenger interrupted. "I bid thee good day." Leaving, he turned back, and dropping his required formality, he winked at Macy.

Amber hurriedly shut the door.

"Penny, fetch your sister. There is much to do, with this news of a ball." Amber said.

"Make Cindermacy do it," Penny said, now painting her toenails.

"Cindermacy, go get Amy!" Amber directed Macy, who obediently went down the hall to fetch her stepsister.

"Cindermacy! Thanks goodness you're here!" Amy gushed as soon as Macy came into view. Wearing nothing but her underclothes, Amy rushed to her sister and pulled her into her room. "I'm having a _nightmare_ tightening my girdle. Be a dear and pull the strings tight for me," Amy told her, moving over to grasp a bedpost.

Sighing, Macy went over and yanked on the strings.

"Tighter!" Amy told her. "I can still breathe! Pull harder!"

Macy tugged on the strings. She told Amy of her mother's request.

"Fine, fine," Amy wheezed. "I'm coming."

Amy stumbled towards the doorway, dizzy from lack of oxygen. Macy followed her.

"Finally," Amber snarled. "Can't you do anything right, Cindermacy? It shouldn't have taken that long to get Amy."

"But I was tightening her girdle…" Macy objected.

"Shut up!" Amy said, reddening. "Just because you're thin enough you don't have to wear a girdle doesn't mean everyone is!"

"But you asked me t --"

"Silence!" Amber said sharply, cutting Cindermacy off. She paused a moment before speaking again. "Now, my daughters," Amber said lovingly, smiling at Penny and Amy, "there is to be a grand ball in three weeks, and all the ladies of the kingdom are invited! The prince is to choose a wife at this grand event!"

Penny and Amy oohed and ahhed appreciatively.

"Yes, yes. And I fully intend for one of you to be his bride," Amber declared. "You are by far the most beautiful girls in the kingdom. No one else's beauty can come close to comparing!"

"But we have so much to do, in so little time!" Amber worried, pacing. "There is no time for appointments for hair or makeup or nails, and we all need new dresses, and lessons on how to speak to royalty…" Amber trailed off, presumably listing more things in her mind.

"We don't need appointments for our hair or anything," Penny said, annoyed, tossing her long blonde tresses. "They'll just make us look dull and plain like the other ladies who go in there."

"Hmm," Amber considered. "You are right. We could never settle for their dull molded looks. We shall prepare ourselves."

"I don't want a new store-bought dress either!" Amy whined. "They itch, they don't fit right, and they look stupid!"

"Of course, of course," Amber agreed. "We cannot settle for a mere store-made dress. We need an individually crafted garment, made precisely for our own unique style."

"Exactly," Penny said.

"Perfect," Amy agreed.

"But the ball is in three weeks," Amber remembered. "And none of us can sew, knows the least thing about royalty, or how to apply cosmetics. Luckily, there are only three of us," she remarked.

"Four," Macy said quietly.

"What?" Amber said, turning to look at Macy, astonished. "What are you talking about?"

"There are four of us," Macy said, raising her voice. "I am going to the ball as well."

Amber threw back her head and laughed, the sound high and cruel, making goose bumps form on Macy's skin. When she was done, she turned back to Macy, shooting her a look of ice.

"You will _not_ go to the ball," she said softly, her voice low filled with venom. "A ball is not meant for the likes of you…"

"But the messenger said…"

"_Fuck_ the messenger and his damn message," Amber spat disgustedly. "You are _not_ going to the ball, and that is the last word."

Macy moved away, grumbling to herself.

"Now, back to the issue at hand," Amber announced, dismissing the subject. "What are we to do?"

The three stopped to ponder this problem.

"We could hire a maid…" Amy suggested feebly.

"Never," Amber snapped. "I detest maids. They steal your money and never do what they're told."

"Then who do we know who can sew, use make-up, and spent time around royalty?" Penny asked aloud.

Macy quietly tried to creep away down the hall.

"Who?" Amy echoed, puzzled. Amber's eyes fell on her stepdaughter, and an evil smile spread across her face, sending chills down Macy's spine.

"Cindermacy," she said, her voice dripping with honey. Macy froze. "Do you think you could help us prepare for the ball?"

"But I don't know how to --"

"Wonderful!" Amber cried, clapping her hands. "That's settled then! Cindermacy will prepare us for the ball!"

Penny and Amy smirked at Cindermacy, who was appalled by the amount of work she would be forced to do.

"Come now, girls, we must get our beauty rest!" Amber said, sweeping of down the hall. "Nighty-night, Cindermacy!"

"Nighty-night," Macy echoed dully, watching her family head off to bed.

Sighing dismally, Macy curled up in an indentation in the ashes and fell asleep, dreaming of dresses to make, help to give, and other chores she would be forced to do.

And she wouldn't even be able to go to the ball.

-----

Time passed, and finally it was the night of the ball. Amber, Penny, and Amy all exclaimed on how quickly it had crept up upon them. Macy, however, thought the exact opposite.

The three hellish weeks between the announcement and the date of the ball had been torture.

Worst of all was the making of their dresses. After taking countless measurements, Macy selected fabric, and the sewing began. She spent many days and many nights holed up in a tiny room that had been designated as the sewing room, pricking her fingers as she sewed whalebone buttons and frames into the dresses by dim candlelight. After the dresses were completed, she was required to make tons of alterations and additions, putting various buttons here, embroidering unique designs there, until her family was finally satisfied.

But now was the night of the ball, and Macy would be free from their torture as soon as they left until the next day. But until then, she was occupied with readying them for the dance.

"I think my face needs more blush," Amy announced, as Macy was busy fixing up Amy's hair. "Cindermacy, put more on."

"Mm-mmm," Macy said, pins in her mouth.

"I don't want to hear any of your excuses, Cindermacy," Amber snapped. "Give Amy more blush."

Sighing, Macy removed the pins and brushed the pinkish powder across Amy's face.

"Is that acceptable?" she asked Amy tiredly, holding up a face mirror.

"Perfect," Amy purred. "Now, fix my hair up. It looks like a bird's nest."

"It would not look so if you had let me finish before doing your blush," Macy tried to explain.

"Shut up!" Amy snapped. "Hurry up and finish my hair!"

Sighing, Macy pinned up the remaining strands of Amy's brown hair and brushed the rest of it until it shone.

"Wonderful!" Amy exclaimed, leaning forward to admire herself in the mirror. "I look just like a princess! There's no way that prince will be able to resist me!"

"Cindermacy, if you're done with Amy, get over here and help me!" Penny snapped irritably, struggling with her dress in front of a full-length mirror. "Button this up for me!"

"You are wearing it crooked," Macy explained, moving the dress so it hung down properly.

"I don't care," Penny scowled. "Just fix it!"

Sighing, Macy quickly buttoned up the back of her stepsister's dress, her agile fingers nimbly slipping the pearl buttons through the silk loops.

"There," she said. Penny looked behind her, craning her neck.

"Did you do it properly?" Penny demanded accusingly. "If I look like a fool at the ball, I'll have your head."

"You're fine, dear," Amber said, gliding over effortlessly, her majestic gown rippling slightly at the bottom. "You look ravishing," Amber said, nodding in approval. "He shan't be able to take his eyes from you."

"No kidding," Penny smirked, glancing down slightly.

"I still think Penny looks ridiculous showing that much cleavage," Amy whined, putting on her own dress across the room, having finished with admiring herself.

"So much the better," Penny smirked, shooting a winning look at her sister.

"Amy!" Amber said, aghast. "We are going to be around royalty! How can you talk so crudely?"

"What do you mean?" Penny asked, puzzled. "She wasn't being crude…"

"It is not _cleavage_," Amber announced grandly. "It is _décolletage_."

"What?" Amy asked flatly. Penny laughed. Macy even bit back a giggle.

"Whenever referring to something private or crude, resort to French," Amber explained. "It is what the upper class does."

Penny laughed out loud at that. "Yeah, sure, Mother," she said, smirking. "I'm sure they do."

"It is!" Amber insisted. "It makes you sound sophisticated."

"Sophisticated my ass!" Penny snorted. "I need to grab my purse before we go," she said, leaving the room.

"It is not an _ass_!" Amber called after her. "It is your _derrière_!" Sighing, she whirled around on Macy, taking out her frustration with her own daughter on Macy.

"Cindermacy," she snarled, making Macy jump. "The carriage should be here. Light the door lamp so that they know we are here."

"Yes, Ma'am," Macy responded, obediently leaving the room, heading towards the door.

"It's not _ma'am_!" Amber called after her, her voice fading as Macy walked away. "It's _Madame…_"

Macy rolled her eyes and grabbed a flint off the tea table before going to light the lamp.

"_It's not ma'am; it's Madame…_" Macy mocked her stepmother as she struck the flint, trying to coax a spark from the rock. "Does she not realize that no one will be talking about crude things at the ball, so there is no need for French?" she wondered aloud, finally getting a spark to land on the wick. She blew on it, making it grow, until the wick finally caught.

"There!" she said happily, proud despite herself for accomplishing her task.

"There you are!" Amber said, patting her hair. "The carriage will be here any moment!"

"So?" Penny asked, adjusting herself in a mirror so that her breasts were pushed higher.

"The prince is going to _love_ me!" Amy said aloud. "He's going to be so struck by my beauty that he'll compliment my dress, and then ask me to dance when the first slow song comes on, and forever after that, it will always be known as our song…" she trailed off, daydreaming.

"I'm sure, Amy," Amber said, distracted, as she slipped on a heavy fur coat. "He'll just love you."

Amy sighed happily as she hugged herself.

"That is, if he can ever keep his eyes off _me_," Penny remarked, striking a pose in the mirror, the slit in her dress riding high up her leg.

"Girls! Girls! The carriage is here!" Amber said excitedly. "To the ball!"

Penny swept out the door, quickly followed by Amy. Amber moved to go after them, before pausing and turning in the doorway to fix Macy with an icy glare.

"Before we return home, you must clean and scrub out the entire basement," Amber told her coldly. "If I find so much as a _speck_ of dirt in there, you will wish you'd never be born."

With those warm sentiments, Amber flounced out of the house, locking the door behind her.

Macy watched through the window. She could hear Amber's voice through the window, saying, "Remember, girls, mind your manners" and Penny's reply of, "Whatever" before the carriage door shut and they sped off into the night.

Macy sniffed, close to tears in her desolation as she watched the dust settle on the road, though she knew she could do nothing about it. Dismally descending the stairs, dejected, she drew open the scraggly basement curtains, allowing moonlight to pour into the room, illuminating it in a milky glow. She looked about her, gauging the task ahead of her.

The basement was _filthy. _

Dirt covered the entire floor. Rats and mice scurried about, battling over moldy chunks of food and garbage. Flies buzzed around the garbage in one corner, its retched stench overwhelming the basement. Some raccoon seemed to have wandered in through the broken window and died in the middle of the floor and now had maggots festering in its corpse, decaying its rotted flesh.

Macy looked around, sat down on the last stair, and cried.

-------

The basement was quiet; silent, save the noise of a girl sobbing in the corner. A mouse scurried over every once in a while, to see if she was still alive or if she could be eaten yet, before hurrying back to safety. Dim moonlight filtered into the room slowly, through a cloud, as the girl continued weeping.

Suddenly, the rats and mice, which had been gathering in the center of the room, fighting over territory, suddenly scattered, running to the walls so fast they crashed into them, before dashing into various holes. The noise startled Macy and she looked up, her face tear-streaked, her eyes wet, and saw a strange sight.

Something was coming into the room.

Macy peered at it, curious, her tears forgotten. It appeared to be a large, yellow bubble, except for the fact that it seemed to glow white. It also had two blue spots on the top of it, which seemed unexplainable. It floated around and seemed to grow larger and larger the closer it came to Macy

Just when it had grown so large that Macy was convinced it would burst, the bubble suddenly vanished. Two boys toppled out of it, and a teenage girl remained standing, looking down at the boys with rolling eyes.

"That hurt…" one boy with straight dark hair muttered, rubbing his head. "Next time, we don't travel by bubble…"

"Sure," the blonde girl said sarcastically. "Like we're supposed to, you mean? I _told_ you it was **The Wizard of Oz** where they did the bubble."

"Yeah, yeah," the straight-haired boy muttered insolently, getting to his feet, rubbing his back.

"It would have been so much cooler if we travelled on a bear in a bikini," a curly-haired boy exclaimed

Macy stared.

The straight-haired just shook his head and rolled his eyes at the other boy. He seemed slightly older than Macy. The other boy kept smiling and although he seemed also older than her own age, he seemed to be innocent and carefree.

The mysterious girl stood with her shoulders back, with a regal air about her. She was clothed in deep blue robes, with a hood pulled up over her head. Warm brown eyes looked out from the shadows of her hood.

Apparently having looked her fill, the girl fixed a friendly gaze on Macy.

"You must be Macy." It was a statement, not a question but the voice of the girl seemed to be filled with warmth.

"Y-yes," Macy managed to get out. "W-who are you?" she asked, trying not to stutter from fear.

"I am Stella!" the girl said dramatically. Thunder boomed outside, lightning struck, and wind billowed into the room, sweeping her cloak around her in a menacing fashion, revealing a beautiful dress. "And I am your fairy godmother!"

"Show off," the straight-haired boy muttered, eyeing the lightning warily while the other boy looked at Stella with wide eyes.

"Oh," Stella said, turning to regard her forgotten friends. The lightning and the wind stopped, and no further thunder was heard. "And this," she said, gesturing at the two boys, "are Joseph and Kevin, my assistants.

"Pleased to meet you," Kevin said cordially, smiling at her, which calmed Macy's nerves somewhat.

"Yes, yes, joy and happiness all around," Joseph – the straight-haired boy - said dismissively. "We have work to do."

"Wait," Macy said. Stella turned to look at her again. "You are my _fairy godmother?_" she asked, disbelieving.

"Technically, no," Stella said, brushing dirt from her arms as she spoke. "No one _really_ has a fairy godmother; it's all for show, but Corimunde, who you were assigned to, came down with a nasty case of fairy pox, and Griselda had a date, so I got you instead And let us be honest, I am the only one who has a sense of fashion." the fairy said, gesturing at her attire.

"And _Fairy godmother_ sounds so much better than _benevolent woman who helps out those in need_," Joseph explained, as Stella pulled off her hood, revealing long, blonde hair.

"Oh," Macy said.

"So," said, looking at the tearstains on Macy's face, "what's the matter? Did you fall down the stairs?"

At this reminder of her troubles, Macy's bottom lip trembled and she promptly burst into tears again. Stella looked worried.

"Um… there, there, Macy," she said awkwardly. "What's wrong?"

"My evil stepmother and stepsisters have gone off to the prince's ball and left me here all alone!" Macy explained. "I have to clean this entire basement before they get home!"

"Oh, is that all?" Stella said, relieved. She waved a hand, and the basement straightened itself out immediately. The dust was gone, the garbage missing, the air clean, and the raccoon corpse disposed of, nary a rodent in sight.

"There. Problem solved," Stella said, a corner of her mouth curling up in a slight smile. "And now, we need to get you ready for the ball."

Stella circled around Macy. "Ooh, a pastel color, perhaps a nice lavender or pale green or fuchsia," she said excitedly, scurrying over and looking her over. "Fuchsia, then, definitely. She has the perfect coloring for it. Not too low-cut, a bit above armpit level. And lavender elbow-length gloves for sure. It'll add a certain elegance. Oh, and glass slippers. Glass slippers for sure."

"Glass slippers?" Joseph said dubiously, his hands above his head, looking her over. "Wouldn't that hurt terribly? All that rubbing of glass against your feet... it sounds highly impractical."

"Who is the fashionable Fairy godmother here? You or me…?" Stella scoffed.

"Please," Joseph said, rolling his eyes. "But still... wouldn't matching fuchsia heels be better?"

"You have _no_ sense of style," Stella criticized. "The glass slippers will give her a certain _flair_ about her. A unique, memorable characteristic. The glass slippers are a _must_."

Stella raised her hands, encased in a blue aura.

"Wait!" Kevin cried suddenly. Stella turned. "Aren't you supposed to say 'Bippity Boppity Boo'?" Stella rolled her eyes. "Or 'Abracadabra'? Ooh! Or or or 'hocus po --"

"Bippity Boppity Boo!" Stella cried.

Suddenly, Macy found herself surrounded by spinning blue sheets of power. She started feeling really dizzy as they swirled, and various white sparks danced around. But just as suddenly as it had begun, it stopped, and the sheets and sparks vanished.

Stumbling slightly, dizzy, Macy struggled to regain her balance and looked up at Stella, who was smiling genuinely at her.

"Here," she said, producing a full-length mirror from thin air. "Go ahead and look." Joseph and Kevin moved over to hold the mirror, and Stella moved over to beside Macy.

Macy moved towards the mirror, her reflection slowly coming into view. She gasped aloud, stunned, and moved closer, enchanted by what she saw.

A beautiful dress hugged her body, tight enough to look great, but not overtly suggestive. It was a stunning shade of purple that looked amazing on her. The dress seemed to slim her stomach, make her look slender, and accentuate her chest delicately. The fabric seemed like a fine silk that sparkled in the light when she moved.

The glass slippers were gorgeous. When they caught the light, they sparkled like diamonds, and they added a certain _oomph_ to her appearance that would leave a lasting impression.

Macy just gasped, looking in the mirror, turning, and watching appreciatively as her dress swirled around her.

"I -- I -- I look _great_!" Macy said, awed.

"You do, don't you?" Stella said, smiling at her creation. "Of course, your hair is still a bit grungy, but that's easy enough to rectify." But before the blonde fairy could continue to speak, Macy had enveloped her in a hug.

"Oh, thank you thank you thank you!" Macy said, hugging Stella tightly. "Now I can go to the ball! And my appearance is stunning! Oh, thank you thank you thank you!"

"Your welcome!" Stella said and Joseph and Kevin looked amused.

"Now," Stella said, "we need to fix the hair." Stella flicked her wrist, and Macy's hair was suddenly clean and healthy, with a glossy shine to it. "You don't need much makeup, just a bit of mascara and lip gloss." Another wrist flick, and it was done. "And, of course, the final touch." Stella touched Macy's neck, and a pearl circlet appeared around her throat.

"Perfect!" Kevin gushed. "Absolutely striking! Ravishing! Fantastic!"

Joseph just stared at Kevin's enthusiasm

"Yes, yes," Stella said dismissively. "But Macy needs to get on her way, or she'll be late for the ball."

Stella, Joseph and Kevin paused, apparently waiting for something. After a minute, Joseph spoke.

"Well?" he said. "Aren't you going to go to the ball?"

"But -- I have no way to get there!" Macy said.

"Oh yes," Stella exclaimed. "I see. Well, then, we have to find some form of transportation."

"I got it!" Kevin called, reappearing, carrying a large pumpkin.

Stella and Joseph stared at him in shock.

"Where'd you get that?" Joe demanded, looking at the vines still attached to it.

"The neighbor lady's garden," Kevin said. "Hey! We needed it, and hers were forgotten and rotting anyway!" he said defensively, as Stella glared at him.

"_What _am I supposed to with a _pumpkin_?" Stella asked

"Turn it into a carriage," Kevin said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "There needs to be an enchanted pumpkin!" He gave the fairy a pouting look and even Macy had to admit that it was impossible to resist that pout.

"Oh, alright," Stella gave in and suddenly a lightning bolt of blue light struck the pumpkin, vanishing into the rind. The pumpkin gave a great lurch and started to grow.

Macy watched, her eyes wide, as the pumpkin enlarged rapidly, doubling and tripling in size over and over again, becoming the body of the carriage. The vines lengthened, curling and transforming into sleek ivory wheels.

Finally, the magic stopped, and a magnificent orange carriage stood before them. Stella flicked her wrist, and the carriage turned into an ivory white, matching the wheels.

"Come on," Stella said, gesturing them to follow. "I'll teleport it outside."

Macy, Kevin and Joseph left through the basement door, only to see Stella waiting for them with the carriage right beside her.

"We need transportation…" Stella murmured to herself. She pondered for a moment, before turning to Joseph.

"Joseph," she commanded. "Go get some of those rats and mice I banished from the basement."

"Sure," Joseph said. He quickly walked back into the house, before returning only moments later, a parade of rodents following him. Stella quickly scooped them up in with her powers.

"Now, we need horses," Stella said, changing four of the largest rats into majestic steeds, hooked up to the harnesses,

"A driver…"

In a flash of blue light, one mouse was missing, and a smartly dressed carriage driver was on the seat.

"Footmen…"

The rest of the mice disappeared, reappearing as two footmen, in matching uniforms.

The castle clock chimed loudly, reminding them of the time.

"Now, before you go, there are a few rules," Stella told her, as Macy admiringly ran a hand over the smooth ivory of the carriage.

"Rules?" Macy asked, questioning.

"Yes. Rules," Stella reiterated. "There's a price for magic, you know."

"Okay…" Macy said. "What rules?"

"Rule one: You must be home by midnight," Stella told her. "The magic only lasts until midnight. After that, the carriage, your clothes, your jewelry; everything will disappear."

"Why?" Macy asked and looked bewildered when Stella blushed and Joseph let out a laugh.

"I'm still in training, you know," Stella admitted with a blush on her cheeks. "My magic is not that strong."

"Oh, let her keep something as a souvenir," Joseph admonished. "This will be the best night of her wretched life."

"Joseph!" Kevin screamed outraged. "How can you say something like that? That's not very nice."

Joseph rolled his eyes and muttered under his breath.

"Oh, all right," Stella said. "Everything but your shoes will disappear."

"Okay," Macy said.

"Rule two," Stella said. "No telling anyone what happened."

"Even if I did, no one would believe me," Macy mentioned.

"True," Stella admitted and Macy looked at the blonde fairy.

"What are you waiting for?" Stella asked after a moment.

"Shouldn't there be a third rule?" Macy asked timidly.

"Why?" Stella asked.

"Because there are always three rules," Macy answered.

"She is actually right," Kevin spoke. "There are usually three rules."

Stella let out a small sigh. "But here there are only two rules," she explained.

"You should hurry up before the ball ends." Stella said

"Oh!" Macy exclaimed, a hand flying to her mouth. "I forgot, almost!"

"Hurry!" Joseph said, pushing her into the carriage. "You must go! Quickly!

The carriage suddenly took off down the street, launching Macy back into her seat. She turned around to see Stella, Joseph and Kevin, waving her off.

-------

A short while later, Macy arrived at the castle entrance.

She was pleased to note that there were others still arriving, meaning she couldn't be too late. One of the footmen opened the door and helped her out of the carriage, and Macy went in, only to pause in the doorway, awed.

The castle was amazing. The entrance room was lavishly decorated in velvets and silks, but the ballroom was incredible. Down a beautiful grand staircase, the rich wooden floor shined like gold, and the majestic chandeliers sparkled from the rooftops like diamonds.

"Good evening, miss."

Macy turned to see the same boy who had told her of the ball standing at the doorway, in a black suit of some sort, looking intensely bored.

"And how shall I announce you?" he asked dully. He turned to get a better look at her, and recognition flared in his eyes.

"I remember you!" he said, straightening, his entire disposition changing. He grinned. "I get off duty in half an hour," he told her. "Save a dance for me, okay?"

Macy started to nod, but the lad was already speaking again.

"I still have to announce you, though," he said, grabbing her arm and dragging her over to the staircase leading to the room. "What's your name again? Oh, no, I remember," he said. Macy quickly moved to stop him, before it was too late.

"No," she said hurriedly. "My name is-"

"Cindermacy," the boy announced into the hall, pushing Macy forward. Sighing to herself, Macy held the railing and began descending the stairs.

Was it just her, or did it seem that everyone was looking at her? Macy mentally thanked her mind for remembering how to regally go down the stairs, like she had seen Amber do countless times in the previous weeks.

_Eyes straight ahead. Shoulders back. Head up. Move gracefully. Smile._ Macy mentally chanted to herself, slowly descending the stairs as the room watched. It seemed to go on forever.

Macy couldn't help but feel a thrill as she glided down the majestic staircase. Surely her stepfamily would see her act of defiance?

Finally, she reached the bottom. She let out a quiet sigh of relief and moved to find the refreshment table while Cynthia von Drapenstien was announced.

Holding a glass of champagne in her hand, Macy sipped it slowly as she watched the dancers go swirling by. She caught sight of Amber, deep in conversation with some duke or something, and Penny, whose partner seemed more intent on her bosom than dancing.

"My dear lady?" Macy heard a voice speak to her. She turned around only to see a man standing in front of her. "Queen Sandy and King Tom want to speak with you," he told her, gesturing at the Queen and the King.

Timidly, Macy followed the man towards the throne where the Queen and the King where seated, watching the ball.

Once she was in front of the royalties, Macy bowed down.

The Queen gestured for her to stay up. "What is your name, my dear?" she asked.

"M-Macy, your highness," Macy managed to stutter out.

"What a beautiful name for such a beautiful girl," the Queen commented. "The prince will be pleased to dance with you." The Queen looked around, "Where is the prince?"

Queen Sandy stood up, her blue eyes scanning the crowd. "There he is," she said. A lad immediately proceeded to get the prince.

Once the prince came to his parents' sides his mother spoke. "Nicholas, my son, I found the perfect girl for you!"

"Not again!" the boy called Nicholas groaned audibly. "You've been trying to set me up with every girl in this place!"

"This one's different," the Queen promised.

"Uh-uh," the boy said defiantly. "I am _not_ dancing with anyone else you set me up with."

"At least have a look at her," the King said, smiling.

"Fine," he said with a long-suffering sigh. He stepped forward, and Macy caught sight of the prince.

Macy gasped.

He was _handsome._

Dressed in a crisp black tuxedo suit with clearly defined muscles beneath it, he was striking. He had a well-defined manly chin, and his brown eyes were mysterious and alluring, and Macy found herself wanting to get lost in them. His curly hair was arranged on his head like a halo.

All in all, he was _really_ handsome.

As Macy finished her visual voyage, it seemed Prince Nicholas was finishing his own as well. Looking up, he met her eyes.

Electricity seemed to crackle between them, their eyes staying stuck to each other, chemistry and attraction swirling around them.

"Hello," the prince said in a deep voice that sounded of adoration, as he took her hand and raised it to his lips. "Pleased to make your acquaintance," he murmured, his lips brushing her hand, his eyes never leaving hers.

"The pleasure is all mine, I'm sure," Macy said, enchanted, her gaze locked on his. He smiled charmingly at her, and Macy thought she could hear her heart beating hard from within her ribcage.

"May I have this dance, m'lady?" Nicholas asked in his deep voice, bending down in a low bow.

"I would love to," Macy murmured, dipping down into a curtsey.

Nicholas grasped her hand and gently pulled her to the middle of the floor, just as a slow song was starting up.

Pulling up memories of her mother and father dancing at various state dinners, Macy put a hand around his shoulders, as she was supposed to do. The prince placed his hand around her waist, sending tiny shivers scurrying up and down her spine.

Slowly, they began to dance. As the song progressed, Macy relaxed, becoming accustomed to the rhythm and movements. She looked about her, straining her eyes to catch a glimpse of her stepfamily, hoping they could see her dancing with the prince.

After a bit of searching, though, Macy gave up, and surrendered herself over to enjoying the dance.

The song was slow and sensual, the sound of flutes and violins caressing her ears. She stumbled slightly, distracted, and Nicholas caught her, pulling her in firmly, resting her against his chest.

It felt… nice.

All too soon, the song ended with a whisper of violins. Macy pulled away, expecting him to move on to another girl. But he peered deep into her eyes and murmured, "Again?"

Macy felt a thrill and murmured back, "Yes."

Giving herself over to the dance, Macy leaned against him, closing her eyes, relishing the feeling. She caught sight of Amy gabbing to some lord or other, and Penny her mouth open and gaping, as she had seen Macy.

Somehow, Macy ended up dancing every dance with Nicholas. The conversation was engaging, his eyes enigmatic, and time flew by.

After a while, Macy's feet were practically bloodied with the rubbing of the slippers, and she asked to sit down. Nicholas smiled at her kindly, led her out onto a terrace, just him and her, and sat down on a porcelain bench.

Macy smiled and looked around her. She could see the moonlight and starshine and fields of roses. She tilted her head upwards, gently closing her eyes, letting the moonbeams hit her face, illuminating it like she was a goddess.

Nicholas began gently tracing the outline of her face with his finger, turning her face toward him. Macy looked at him, a question shining in her eyes.

"You're very beautiful," he whispered in a reverent tone.

Macy wanted to say, "You are too," but she knew that was wrong; men were handsome, not beautiful. But suddenly, she couldn't say anything.

His hands had moved to the back of her head and were pulling her closer, and then suddenly he was kissing her, and Macy couldn't think of any words, only of him.

Somehow, he lifted her up, and they were dancing again, out on the terrace, under the stars. Macy could hear the music from the ballroom, light and beautiful. And then she heard something else; a rumbling.

Dong, dong, dong…

Macy pulled back and stared up at the palace clock.

Suddenly, her neck seemed much lighter. Reaching up to her throat, Macy realized her pearl necklace had vanished.

The magic only lasts until midnight…

"Oh, no. Is it midnight?" she asked.

Nicholas looked at her in a puzzled way.

"It is!" she exclaimed. "Oh, no. I am so sorry. I have to leave." She stood up, preparing to go.

"You cannot leave," the prince said, attempting to pull her close again. She jerked away.

"Yes, I must. I am sorry. So sorry --"

Macy ran through the door, back through the ballroom, and out the front door as fast as she could. She raced down the steps and felt her shoe slip. She shook it off and left it there as she ran on, not having time to pick it up.

"Wait!"

Macy ran on, feeling her great gown change back to her old clothes. As she reached the street, she saw only a smashed pumpkin and several mice and rats scattered around, scurrying.

She kept on running, right into the forest, her hair flying wildly behind her. She could hear Nicholas yelling at the guards to follow her as she dodged trees and bushes.

------

"She _what?_"

Nicholas was _furious_.

First, his parents had to throw him a blasted ball so he could 'find a wife and settle down.' Then, when he finally found a girl he liked and could quickly fall in love with, she ran. And now, his idiot guards couldn't find the girl.

"What do you mean, _you couldn't find her?_"

The guards shifted uneasily from side to side.

"Well, you see, your Highness, she ran into the forest, and seems to have… vanished," one guards offered timidly.

"Vanished?" Nicholas repeated incredulously. "She _vanished?_"

"Yes," said the second guard, rapidly nodding his head. "Vanished. Gone. Just like that."

"Sir?" he offered timidly. Nicholas whirled around.

"Th-- the lady left this on the s-- stair," he stuttered, holding up a glass slipper. "I -- I thought you m-- might want to kn-- know.

Nicholas snatched the slipper from him and examined it carefully.

"This," he announced, looking at the slipper, "is how I shall find the woman of my dreams again. I shall have every woman in the kingdom try it on, and whomever it fits shall be the girl I marry."

The guards broke into shocked speech.

"You don't know her _name?_"

"That's how you're going to find her?"

"--danced with her for hours --"

"-- shoe might fit anybody --"

"-- didn't even ask her name --"

"- -could end up married to a toad --"

"Stop!" Nicholas ordered before continuing, "You two shall be accompanying me on my journey tomorrow morning, as soon as dawn breaks," Nicholas told them. "Inform Van Dyke that he will be coming with us. Now, get to

The guards scrambled off.

Nicholas sat back down on the bench and rubbed his temples, sighing.

Where could she have gone?

------

The next morning, as Macy was cooking breakfast in the kitchen, her stepfamily was going over the details of the ball in the living room.

"The food was perfectly _awful_," Amy whined. "Every time I ate something, I felt horribly sick afterwards."

"Maybe you should have only eaten _one_ thing, then, instead of ten or twenty at a time," Penny snickered.

"I rather enjoyed it," Amber said. "The other ladies' styles were amusing to examine. _No one_ outshone _us_."

"What about that one girl the prince was dancing with nearly the whole time?" Amy said thoughtfully. "She was stunning."

Macy froze in the kitchen, before slowly continuing to stir the oatmeal, listening.

"Yes, yes," Amber said, waving her hand dismissively. "I must admit, the girl had style. She _was_ gorgeous, but not so much as we were. Who was she, anyway?"

"No idea," Penny said. "I rather thought she looked like Cindermacy, and thought she might have slipped out to go to the dance, but when we came home and saw how clean the basement was, I knew it couldn't be her. She had to have spent the whole night on that."

Macy sighed listlessly. She rather wished she _had_ spent the whole night scrubbing at the filth in the basement. At least, then, she wouldn't have met the prince and left her heart in his hands.

_Stop it,_ she mentally admonished herself. _You are never going to see Nicholas again, so there is no good in mooning over him like this._

When Macy had gotten home, she had collapsed on the basement floor. She relived every dance, every glance, dreaming of the kiss on the terrace, remembering the feel of his hand on her back, guiding her across the floor.

And then she cried bitter tears, knowing she had fallen in love with the young man but would never see him again.

Sighing, Macy removed the oatmeal from the stove and dolled the thick substance into three bowls. She really didn't feel like eating.

She moved into the living room, handing out the bowls and spoons, placing the sugar bowl in between them on the floor.

"Amy, look at that, out the window."

Hearing the awe in Penny's tone, Macy glanced up, and her heart stopped.

The prince was standing outside the door.

------

"This is house number 167," Van Dyke, the messenger boy, rattled off dully. "

"Who lives here?" Nicholas asked, adjusting his crown for the millionth time that day.

"The Misa widow, her two daughters, and her stepdaughter," Van Dyke said, flipping through papers on a clipboard. He paused. "I remember this house!" he exclaimed. "This is where Cindermacy lives!"

"Who?" Nicholas said, shooting Van Dyke a scathing look.

"Cindermacy," Van Dyke repeated. "I saw her at the ball, and asked her to save me a dance, but when I finally got off duty, I couldn't find her."

"What time was that?" Nicholas asked. Van Dyke thought hard.

"A little before midnight," he said.

_A little before midnight, _Nicholas thought, his breath catching in his throat with hope. _If this Cindermacy character is she, she would have been out on the terrace with me._

Van Dyke moved forward and knocked sharply on the door.

-----

"Cindermacy, get back in the kitchen," Amber commanded, her eyes fixed on the door. Macy hesitated.

"Get back in the kitchen!" she snapped. "Stay there! They are not to see you!"

Obediently, Macy went and watched through the side of the doorway as Amber answered the door, Amy and Penny right behind her.

"Your… Your Highness," Amy said, flustered.

"S-s-sir," Penny stuttered.

The boy gave them both looks of withering scorn

"Hear ye, hear ye," the messenger boy boomed in a deep voice that somehow conveyed that he didn't feel any of them was worthy of his message, but that he was not one to shirk his work and would speak as grandly to them as he did to anyone else. "His Royal Highness, the prince," he said, gesturing to the appropriate person, "has a glass slipper, belonging to the woman he loves. He has decreed whomever the slipper fits, he shall marry."

"Come in, come in," Amber urged, moving aside, shoving her daughters out of the way.

They all swept in.

A courtier of some sort moved forward, carrying the glass slipper on a rich velvet pillow. The prince took it, held it, and surveyed the three with a look of apprehension.

"Who's first?" he sighed.

"Ooh! I am! I am!" Amy squealed, rushing forward. She sat down in the chair and took off her own shoes.

"What is your name?" the prince asked politely.

"Amy," she purred eagerly.

The prince put Amy's foot in the slipper, but it did not fit.

"You feet are much too small," he said, giving her a look of dismissal. Penny shoved Amy aside and plopped down in the chair.

"The slipper is mine," she said, flashing the prince her most alluring smile.

"So I have heard many times today," the prince returned curtly. "Lies, all."

Penny bent down eagerly, watching as the prince moved to put it on her foot. Macy held her breath.

"Your foot is much too big," he announced, waving her away. Amber moved forward, already in bare feet.

Macy breathed a breath of relief.

"Your foot is much too narrow," he told her, a steely glint in his eyes. He stood up.

"Is there anyone else here in the household?" he asked, withdrawn, looking around.

Amy opened her mouth to speak, but Amber clapped a hand over her mouth. The prince looked at her oddly.

"No," Amber said quickly. "There is no one else."

"No one?" he asked, turning to go.

"No one," Amber reiterated firmly.

"Wait a second," the messenger boy spoke up. "There is too! Where's Cindermacy?"

The prince turned.

"Cindermacy?" Amber feigned confusion. "I've never heard of any Cindermacy…"

"Yes you have!" the boy insisted. "I saw her here last time I came, and she was at the ball, too!" Amber's eyes flared with malice, and she shot a look of hatred at her stepdaughter in the kitchen. The messenger boy, however, followed her gaze.

"There she is!" he cried, pointing. Macy's breath caught in her throat. "She's the one I asked to save a dance for me, but I never found her!"

"Come on, Cindermacy," the prince said gently, looking at her kindly, even though she wore naught but rags and dirt. "It is your turn to try on the slipper."

Hardly daring to believe her luck, Macy moved forward and sat on the chair.

"My apologies," she murmured to the messenger boy. "I was otherwise -- engaged."

Macy heard the prince's breath catch in his throat.

He bent over, moving the slipper to place it on her foot. It was clear to all that it would fit.

Time seem to slow down.

As Macy watched the prince, out of the corner of her eye, she saw Amber shove Penny forward, causing her to stumble and fall…

…directly into the prince.

"Ahh!" Penny cried, landing hard. The prince fell under her weight, the slipper escaping his hand, spinning through the air…

…only to crash on the hard limestone stairs, splintering into thousands of glass shards.

"What the hell did you do that for?" Penny asked her mother crossly, getting to her feet. "That hurt!"

"It was an accident!" Amber said, shrugging. She turned to look at the remains of the slipper, and smiled evilly. "Oh, what a loss! The slipper's broken! Well, you can always marry one of my fine daughters. I daresay they're as beautiful as your girl…"

"No!" the prince cried out, showing real emotion for the first time, reaching for the shards. "No!" He let his hands fall dejectedly to his sides, and it looked like he would cry.

"Do not despair," Macy said softly. The prince turned. "All is not lost."

"What do you mean, you silly girl?" Amber spat. "The slipper is gone! Of course all is lost! How can it not be?"

Macy looked at her stepmother, meeting her gaze coolly for the first time in her life.

"For _I_ have the other slipper," Macy told her, a triumphant gleam in her eye.

"What?" the prince breathed.

Macy moved and withdrew the other slipper from her back pocket. Wordlessly, she handed it to the prince, who silently slipped it onto her foot.

"It fits," he breathed. "It fits perfectly."

He looked up, meeting Macy's eyes, a look of recognition sparking in his eyes.

"It's you," he said, hardly daring to believe his luck. "It is! It is you!" He swept Macy off her feet in traditional bridal style, and bent down to kiss her passionately.

"No!" Amber cried, stomping her foot. "No!"

"Oh, yes," the prince said, shooting a venomous look at her. He moved to the door, still carrying Macy.

"Wait!" Amber cried, throwing herself at the prince's feet. "We have raised your love since she was a child," she said quickly, not meeting his eye. "Surely, as her family, we are meant to join her at court."

The prince fixed her with his most scathing look.

"Get out of my sight," he hissed. Amber fell back, fearful.

"Come, Cindermacy," he said, carrying her down the steps. "We have a wedding to arrange."

"Macy," she corrected him quietly. The prince smiled down at her.

"Macy," he said, smiling. "I like that more."

Macy smiled as he carried her to a waiting royal carriage to be whisked off to the palace.

Something in her life had finally gone right.

------

The wedding was grand, the event of the century. The entire court and common folk had come to see, Amber and her kin excluded. Macy's wedding gown had been created by Stella, with the assistance of Joseph and Kevin, and was absolutely gorgeous and she was wearing new glass slippers. Nicholas looked dashingly handsome, as always.

The ceremony swept by in a blur. Before Macy knew it, the vows were spoken, rings were exchanged, and then Nicholas was kissing her, and it was every bit as perfect as the first time.

Amidst the cheering of the crowd, Nicholas swept her off her feet, grinning, and put her into the royal carriage.

"Ready?" he asked her, smiling.

"Always," Macy responded. She leaned forward for another sweet kiss, as the carriage rode off into the sunset.

And they lived happily ever after.

* * *

_A/N: I hope you enjoyed this story and reviews make me smile._

_Thank you for reading!_


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